I am a millennial.
As we have entered the workforce, millennials have a gained a bad reputation – often described by employers as selfish, lazy or privileged. This perception has developed over time and few members of my generation have disputed it yet. As a millennial, I’d like to debunk some of these perceptions and offer an insight into how they gained a foothold in the professional world.
Through my own experiences, I have learned that attitudes, behaviors and performances are easily misinterpreted and that some characteristics fall in harsher light than others. Broadly stated, millennials’ overall demeanor towards our careers has an element of caution that often comes off as something else entirely. The following are three examples of this.
Sense of Entitlement
Employers and senior colleagues may feel that our remarkable ability to accept change translates into a lack of loyalty. Sometimes, people mistake our one-door-closing-means-another-one-opening outlook as a sense of entitlement – either to new jobs or new designations. This misconception seems to imply that we never cared about our job in the first place or perhaps felt we were too good for it.
Rather than entitled, we’re extremely cautious about things we cannot control and fully aware of how fast things can change. In comparison, Generation X is different. Like my father, who started his own contracting business at the age of 19, the majority of Gen X saw their first job as a long-term career path. When the recession hit and my father went out of business after 30 years, he was forced to accept a job as a janitor at our local elementary school.
As an instinctual result of watching our parents struggle without back-up plans, we’ve become cautious. I find that I always have my guard up, ready to adapt when need be.
Impatient and Disloyal Employees
At some level, I can’t blame employers for thinking that millennials can be impatient and even disloyal at times. As a greater percentage of millennials have graduated from college than Gen Xers, there are now more people than ever in the workforce who were constantly challenged to settle on one major, all while being exposed to endless opportunities. It’s nearly impossible to graduate knowing exactly what you want to do. It takes trial and error to find your path.
After a year at my first job, I decided that it wasn’t for me. When I told my boss, he said, “Employers won’t hire someone who jumps from job to job.” Those words still resonate with me.
From his perspective, I can imagine how frustrating this would be after the time he invested in me. My first job taught me an immeasurable amount about the workforce, professionalism and myself. Despite the way it may seem; we recognize the need for the continual guidance of employers and mentors, even if it is for a short period – even if it seems like we don’t appreciate it.
For my generation’s predecessors, most fear and anxiety is rooted in losing their jobs and not being able to provide for their family. Our fear and anxiety comes from ending up in a job that we don’t love.
No Work Ethic
I can’t disagree more with this misconception. Granted, each generation has its laggards, but that’s inevitable. When they are coming of age and entering the workforce, every generation is told by their parents that they have no work ethic. Millennials are no different. This can be traced back for generations. Baby boomers were called hippies and slackers; Gen Xers were labeled as self-absorbed and even lazier. Does this sound familiar?
I wonder how many baby-boomer members of the workforce have seen a millennial like me walking around and anticipated that at least one of these perceptions would prove to be true. From this point on, I hope that older co-workers and employers will look for the hidden talents in millennials, keeping in mind that perceptions are so often ungrounded.
As a millennial, having a mentor is pivotal in increasing motivation, loyalty and passion. We are motivated by other’s education and opportunities. With guidance, we can see a future in what we’re doing and suddenly jobs become careers. I have been able to grow and establish a sense of self as the experience of Gen X professionals has been passed down and shared with me. This is the definition of evolution. This is what the millennials are looking for.
Samantha Ciaccia has been working at Datto, Inc. for over two years. Recently promoted into the channel engagement manager role, her responsibilities include working with solution providers from all over the world on their business continuity solutions.
